Rotary engine



Jan. 10,v 1939. R, MABILLE 2,143,738

Filed March 17, 1937 (5 Sheets-Sheet 1 xNvENToR 45 441 RAouL MABlLLE Bq W, TTTTT NEYS Jan. 10, 1939. R' MAB|| E 2,143,738

ROTARY ENG INE Filed March 1'7, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR- 49 RAOULJ MABlLLE ATTYs,

R. MABILLE Jan. 10, 1939.

Filed March 17, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 QNVENTOR RAuuL MABILLE J 9* W *JM'TToRN-Ys latented Jan. 10, 1939 PATENT OFFICE BOTARY ENGINE Baoui Mabille, Brussels, Belgium Application March 17, 1937, Serial No. 131,510 In Belgium March 18, 1936 7 Claims. (Cl. 103-144) The present inventionl relates to rotary engines either power engines or driven`-machines, of the type comprising, in a cylindrical stator, an eccentric rotor provided with vanes mounted 6 radially on a shaft coaxial with the stator,isaid vanes extending through the wall of the rotor in oscillating cylindrical bearings in which they reciprocate while trans'mitting the drive to the rotor or inversely. 10 The principal difliculties met with in the practical construction of engines or machines of this kind arise from excessive friction or lack.

of fiuid-tightness.

In engines of this kind, it is known 4to lodge arcuate packing segments in arcuate grooves provided in the lateral plane faces of the rotor opposite the flat ends of the stator for ensuring fiuid-tightness along said ends -between the vanes. Said packing segments are composed of a piurality of segments concentric relatively to the rotor. When the engine is in operation, therefore, each segment wipes over an annular surface, the thickness whereof is equal to that of the ring.

This known arrangement affords satisfactory results from the point of view of fiuid-tightness but it has been found that, in some cases, it presents difculties from the point of view of lubrication, and this may result in an abnormal heating of the machine at such places.

According to the present invention, this disadvantage is remedied while ensuring fluid-tightness in an equally satisfactory manner but while permitting in addition adequate lubrication so as 35 to obviate any abnormal heating.

For this purpose, according to the invention, instead of being concentric with the rotor, the said segments are of a curvature which is very substantially less, and according to a preferred 40 form of construction, said segments are rectilinear segments. In other words their length is less than that of the arc concentric to the rotor measured from end to end of said packing segments.

45 Thus, each segment wipes over a considerably increased annular surface and it has been found that with this arrangement, lubrication is satisfactory and abnormal heating is prevented.

Furthermore, with such an arranegment the 50 oil driven to the periphery by the centrifugal force is returned towards the centre of the stator ends.

In engines of this kind, it is also known to provide rollers carried by spindles journalled in 55 anti-friction bearings mounted in the flat face of each half of the oscillating cylindrical bearings, in which the Vanes reciprocate, in order to allow the vanes to roll on said rollers, as described in U. S. Patent 2,071,799.

60 According to another feature of this invention, rollers carried by spindles iournalled in -anti-friction bearings are further provided on the curved face of each' half'oscillating cylindrical bearing, thus providing rolling means 'for said bearing in its recess in the rotor. Said 5 rollers are mounted in two rows or lines, one in proximity of each tip of the cylindrical half bearing. p

A particularly interesting arrangement is to mount rollers both on the flat face and on the 10 curved face of the half-bearings for bearing respectively on the vane and on'the rotor recess. Thus, the transmission of the drive to the latter is always effected at the correct place, eliminating any possibility of jamming, which is 15 otherwise produced at high speeds of rotation. This arrangement, hcwever, results in an excessive increase in the dimensions of said halfbearings.

A novel feature of the present invention pro- 20 vides two series of rollers each rotating independently of the other on one and the same spindle. The spindle is mounted in the half-bearing. The rollers of one series bear on the face of the vane and ensure contact between the vane and half-bearing. The rollers of the other series bear on the concave face of the rotor recesses and ensure contact between said face and the curved face of the half-bearings.

The rollers bearing on the face of the vane should not touch the concave face of the rotor recesses, and conversely the rollers forming the antifriction bearing of the convex face of `the half-bearing in the corresponding rotor recess should not touch the plane face of the vane.

This is accomplshed by providing either in the vane or in the concave rotor recess, opposite the rollers of one series, disengagement tracks enabling them to pass without contact.

To ensure, for the two series of rollers, move- 40 ments which for one of said series are solid with the relative movements of the vane and of the bearing and which for the other series are solid With the relative movements of the bearing and of the recess in the rotor, said movements of the two series being independent, a separate, journalling device is interposed between each roller and the common spindle. It is also possible, however, to fix one of the series of rollers on the common spindle, provided the latter is allowed to rctate freely in its recesses in the half-bearing, the other series of rollers being mounted loosely on the spindle.

Further details and features of the invention will appear in the course of the description of the accompanying drawings which represent various forms of construction of the invention by way of example only.

Figure 1 shows diagrammatically a rotary engine comprising in a cylindrical stator an eccen- 50 tric rotor of the known kind provided with vanes mounted radialiy on a shaft coaxial with the stator, said vanes extending through the wall of the rotor in oscillating cylindrical bearings.

Figure 2 shows a modifled form of packing segments shown in Figure 1.

Flgure 3 shows rollers in the curved face of the oscillating bearing.

Figure 4 shows in perspective, the construction of a half cylindrical bearing, in which, according to Figure' 5, rollers can be provided in two series, on the same spindle.

Figure 6 is a section through the median plane of the uppermost spindle shown in Figure 5, at right angles to the vane.

Figure 7 shows, in perspective, the concave face of the rotor recess, comprising disengagement tracks, and

Figure 8 shows a form of construction corresponding to that of Figure 6 but in which the disengagement tracks are provided in the vane instead of in the rotor recess.

The engine of known type shown in Figure 1 substantially comprises a cylindrical stator in which rotates a likewise cylindrical rotor 2 mounted eccentrically relatively to the stator. Said rotor in addition comprises radial vanes 1, 8 and 9, three in number, whereof the naves are mounted individually, like hinge eyes, on a common shaft |0 which is supported in overhung fashion by one of the stator ends and is coaxial with the stator.

The vanes project from the rotor through bearings each formed of two half-bearings in the form of cylindrical segments fitted in cylindrcal recesses of the rotor on either side of the vane with which they are associated.

It will be understood that when the eccentric rotor revolves, the bearings slide radiallt7 on the vanes while oscillating in their seats, following the inclination of the vanes relatively to the eccentric rotor.

In engines of the kind described, it is known to vplace arcuate packing segments concentric with the external cylindrical surface of the rotor,`

in arcuate recesses of corresponding curvature provided in the lateral plane faces of the rotor. Said segments are urged against the fiat stator ends, for example by springs.

According to the invention, the arcuate segments concentric with the axis of the rotor, are replaced by the segments |8 shown in Figure 1 substantially comprising a straight central part continued if necessary by small and likewise straight segments which however are bent in order to engage and co-operate with segments 1| placed between the half-bearings and their recesses in the rotor.

It is thus possible to ensure in a simple manner the lubrication of the segments |8 while ensuring the desired fluid-tightness and without causing any abnormal heating.

Obviously, the segments |8 need not be strictly straight, but they may be slightly curved with a view to improving the fiuid-tightness, provided however that their curvature is substantially less than that of the rotor periphery, or in other words, provided that their radius of curvature is substantially greater than the radius of the rotor. Such a modification is shown diagrammatically in Figure 2.

The best results are obtained, however, when the segments i 8 are straight, that is to say, when their radius of curvature is infinite, or their ,curvature nil.

According to another feature of the invention in the curved face of the half bearing there are mounted guiding or supporting rollers 30 for allowing said half bearing to roll in its'corresponding curved recess of the rotor. This arrangement is shown in Figure 3.

Said rollers 30 are preferably mounted in two rows or lines, one in proximity to each of the two tips or extremities of the half bearing.

The rollers 30 are not merely placed in cavities provided in said recesses, but on the contrary, said rollers 30 are mounted on a spindle 3| or are carried by two pivots which rotate in antifriction bearings, such as preferably needle bearings 32. Consequently, said rollers do not bear against the bottom of the cavities containing them, and the forces transmitted from the oscillating bearings to the rotor or inversely are transmitted through the medium of the spindle or of the pivots on which said rollers are mounted.

With this arrangement of the rollers 30, it is found that all tendency to seizing of the oscillating bearings in their seats is avoided.

Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 show a construction according to the invention in which series of rollers, some bearing against the vane and others against the rotor recess, are mounted on a common spindle located in the half-bearing.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the construction of a half-bearing 44; 45-45 are seats for roller spindles, not shown.

Figure 5 is a partial view in section on a planoplane at right angles to the axis of the engine passing thorugh the centre of the half-bearing, showing a rotor fragment 42, a vane 43, and a half-bearing 44 in which are placed the two spindles 46-46. Rotating on said spindles are rollers 41 and 48 of different diameters, mounted on the spindle one after the other.

The rollers are journalled on the spindle through the medium of antifriction bearings, such as liners of antifriction material, ball bearings or roller bearings or preferably needle bearings.

Figure 6 is a section through the median plane of the spindle 46 at right angles to the vane 43, showing a portion of rotor 42, the vane 43 and the mounting of the half-bearing 44-44. The spindle 46 rotates freely in the latter on needle bearings. The roller 41 rotates freely on the central portion of said spindle on needle bearings 50 and bears against the face of the vane but does not touch the rotor, due to a disengagement track 5| provided in the concave face of said rotor. Fitted on the spindle 46, on either side of the roller 41, are two rollers 40-48 of the same diameter but of smaller diameter than that of roller 41 and which bear against the concave face of the rotor recess but do not touch the face of the vane.

It will be seen that, due to the needle bearings 49 and 50, the rollers 41 and 48-48 are perfectly capable of rotating in opposite directions.

Since during the rotation of the engine, the half-bearing 44 pivots in the recess of the rotor 42, the disengagement truck 5| embraces the entire concave face of said recess.

It is necessary to prevent the said disengagement track from causing leakage. For this purpose, the convex part of the half-bearing situated between the two sets of rollers is proflled so as to fit the contours of said disengagement track, and is provided with packing members bearing against said contours. Said members are shown at 52 in Figure 5. In addition, Figure '1 shows in perspective the concave face of the rotor recess in which is provided the disengagement track 5| and in the latter a packing member has been represented to show how it fits the contour.

In the construction described, a disengagement track has been provided in the rotor recess for the roller bearing on the vane. If the spindle 46\ is brought closer to the vane, it may be more expedient to provide such a disengagement track in the vane in order to allow the roiler or rollers bearing on the rotor recess to pivot freely. This is illustrated in Figure 8 which corresponds to Figure 6, the same reference numbers indicating similar parts.

When one series of rollers is of smaller diameter than the rollers of the other series, it is only necessary to provide disengagement tracks either in the rotor recess or in the vane, according to location of the spindles in the half bearing.

But, as will be easily understood, if in case of simplicity of construction, all the rollers are of same diameter, the disengagement tracks will be provided partly in the rotor recess for one series of rollers and partly in the vane for the other series of rollers.

It is obvious that the invention is applicable tc all rotary engines of the kind described, irrespective of the improvements provided therein, in addition to those described. Furthermore, the invention is not limited to any particular constitution or application of the engine in question which may be a driven machine or a power engine, a compressible fiuid engine, explosion engine, internal combustion engine, steamA engine or the like without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

What I claim is:

l. In a rotary engine comprising in a cylindrical stator an eccentric rotor fltted with vanes mounted radially on a shaft coaxial with the stator, said vanes extending through the wall of the rotor in oscillating cylindrical bearings in which they reciprocate while transmitting the drive of the rotor or inversely, said bearings being fltted in cylindrical recesses of the rotor in which the bearings are adapted to oscllate, rollers carried by spindles rotating in antifriction bearings mounted in the curved faces of the corresponding oscillating bearings.

2. .In a rotary engine comprising in a cylindrical stator an eccentric rotor fltted with vanes mounted radially on a shaft coaxial with the stator, said vanes extending through the wall of the rotor in oscillating cylindrical half-bearings in which they reciprocate while transmitting the drive of the rotor or inversely, said bearings being fltted in cylindrical recesses of the rotor in which' the bearings are adapted to oscillate, at least two spindles mounted in the half-bearings, on each of which spindles rotate through the medium of antifriction bearings two series of rollers, some of which bear against the face of the vane and others of which bear against the curved surface of the rotor recess in which is fitted the bearing.

3. In a rotary engine comprising in a cylindrical stator an eccentric rotor fltted with vanes mounted radially on' a shaft coaxial with the stator, said vanes extending through the wall of the rotor in oscillating cylindrical half-bearings in which they reciprocate while transmitting the i drive of the rotor or inversely, said bearings being fltted in cylindric'al recesses of the rotor in which the bearings are adapted to oscllate, at least two spindles mounted in the half-bearings, on each of which spindles rotate through the medium of antifriction bearings two series of rollers, some of which bear against the face of the vane and others of which bear against the curved surface `of the rotor recess in which is fltted the bearing,

and disengagement tracks in the rotor recess opposite the rollers bearing against the vane.

4. In a rotary engine comprising in a cylindrical stator an eccentric rotor fitted with vanes mounted radially on a shaft coaxial with the stator, said vanes extending through the wall of the rotor in oscillating cylindrical half-bearings in which they reciprocate while transmitting the drive of the rotor or inversely, at least two spindles mounted in the half-bearings on each of which spindles rotate through the medium of antifriction bearings two series of rollers, some of which bear against the face of the vane and others of which bear against the curved surface of the rotor recess in which is fitted the bearing, and disengagement tracks in the vane opposite the rollers bearing against the rotor, recess.

5. In a rotary engine comprising in a cylindrical stator an eccentric rotor fitted with vanes mounted radially on a shaft coaxial with the stator, said vanes extending through the wall of the rotor in oscillating cylindrical half-bearings in which they reciprocate while transmitting the drive of the rotor or inversely, said bearings being fltted in cylindrical recesses of the rotor in which the bearings are adapted to oscillate, at least two spindles mounted in the halfbearings on each of which spindles rotate through the medium of antifriction bearings two series of rollers, some of which bear against the face of the vane and others of which bear against the curved surface of the rotor recess in which is fltted the bearing, disengagement tracks opposite one series of rollers and packing ledges to flt the contours of said disengagement tracks.

6. A rotary engine comprising in a cylindrical stator an eccentric rotor fltted with vanes mounted radially on a shaft coaxial with the stator. said vanes extending through the wall of the rotor in oscillating cylindrical bearings in which they reciprocate while transmitting the drive of the rotor or inversely, packing segments of a curvature considerably less than that of the periphery of the rotor being fltted in grooves provided in the lateral faces of the rotor for ensuring fiuid-tightness between said faces and the stator ends, rollers carried by spindles rotating in antifriction bearings mounted in the curved faces of the oscillating bearings.

7. A rotary engine comprising in a cylindrical stator an eccentric rotor fltted with vanes mounted radially on a shaft coaxial with the stator, said vanes extending through the wall of the rotor in oscillating cylindrical bearings in which they reciprocate while transmitting the drive of the rotor or inversely, and packing segments fltted in grooves provided in the lateral faces of the rotor for insuring fluid tightness between said faces and the stator ends and extending between two adjacent cylindrical bearings, the length of said packing segments being less than the length of an arc concentric to the periphery of the rotor.

measured from end to end of said packing seg- .m 

